Unprepared (A Ross Lynch Fanfiction)
by CosmicLoathe
Summary: Jay enters a contest to meet the cast of Teen Beach Movie, and winds up going through the craziest summer of his life. He was totally and completely Unprepared. Rating may change in future chapters.
1. Meet & Greet

**A/N: I ... Idk i just had to write this story :( don't hate me.**

* * *

I don't think anything could've prepared me for this summer, anything at all. Not that I'm complaining or anything, it's just crazy how my normally chill summer took a turn for the weird. Psh, look at me, babbling on about something you guys are like mad confused about, haha. Let's just start from the beginning shall we?

So, there I was sitting on the couch, watching _Teen Beach Movie _for what seemed like the umpteenth time that summer. What? Guys can like musicals about singing surfers and bikers too, ya know. Anyway, the scene that was playing was my all time favorite song in the movie, 'Like Me'.

"You're watching that movie _again_?" came my sister's voice from the staircase. "What's that, like round thirteen?"

I chuckled lightly, "I'm sorry what, Ms. I-Watched-High-School-Musical-All-Day-Long?"

She gave me a playful glare and sat down on the couch opposite from me. She whipped out her phone, clad in a _Lilo & Stitch_ case, and began texting her girlfriend. "How are you and Annmariah doing?"

"We're good, normal as always. I'm supposed to be sleeping over her house this weekend." She said simply, taking a quick selfie for Instagram.

"Aw, that's good." I said, before turning my attention towards the screen again. Hearing about my sister's girlfriend made me miss my ex-girlfriend even more, seeing as my sister's relationship is way similar to my past one.

Maybe you guys should get to know me better. The name's Joseph, but everyone calls me Jay, and my sister on the couch there.. Her name's Chloe. I'm nineteen, and my sister's sixteen, but we happen to be the closest siblings anyone could ever imagine.

Every time my sister had a problem with her relationship, she'd ask me for my advice, and vice-versa. It wasn't much of a shock when she told us about her sexuality, it was pretty obvious.. to me at least. My mom was extremely supportive so that helped out a lot, and I've never seen my sister so happy before.

The movie went to commercial, and an ad came up that described a sweepstakes that were being held. Apparently, Disney was selecting two random contestants to meet the cast of Teen Beach Movie and stay in L.A for two whole weeks with a $100,000 shopping spree.

"Hey, since you love the movie so much you should enter." Chloe said, not looking up from her cell phone.

"Psh, yeah .. Like I'd ever win something like that." I replied, listening to the ad further.

"Ugh, don't you ever take risks?" she asked, "You never know. Anyone could win those things, anyone in the world. Why not you?"

"Eh, I don't know.." I said.

"Look, the commercial said to email them a questionnaire about the movie, with a video of you reading the lines of scene, so let's start recording." Chloe said, as she opened up the camera app on her phone.

We finished recording, and I finished the questionnaire, and made out the email to Disney. "You sure about this?"

"You might have a shot, who knows yo, just do it." She replied, going upstairs to bed.

I shrugged and went to my room also, laying down on the bed and thinking for a moment. _Do I really have a shot at this? I'm no one special for Disney to just pick me._

I mean, I never really won anything in my life. I've entered contests for Teen Wolf, Shake it Up!, and other shows I used to love, but never got in. I guess either I wasn't good at acting or I was just plain unlucky. I'm just an average ordinary kid who's in college, living his normal life. I have some friends, one best friend, but at times he's not really there.

My family, however, is far from normal. There's so much drama, I can't take it, I just avoid it. I don't live with either of my parents, but with my grandparents. I just visit my Mom's house on weekends, which was why I was here now. As for my Dad, I hardly speak to him, seeing as he really stopped caring about me once I got older so noting there. I love my brothers and sister though, they keep me leveled.

I finally stopped thinking for a while, and I finally let sleep take over.

* * *

I woke up to the sounds of Mortal Kombat, as I groggily lifted my head from the pillow, taking a glance at my brother playing said game on my PS3. Glaring, I made my way downstairs and into the shower to wash up. After I got dressed, I started brushing my teeth, and went through my email on my phone.

Refreshing the page, I saw an email from 'Disney Executive Entertainment', and nearly passed out. Mouth open, tooth brush dropped, I ran upstairs and through my sister's room door. Luckily, she was already on the floor straightening her hair.

"I-I-I-I-I got an email back!" I stuttered, showing her the phone and pacing back and forth. "I didn't think I could win!"

"My question is why so fast?" Chloe asked, reading through the email.

"Hold on, let me go through it one more time." I said, reaching out for the phone, "_Dear Joseph Perez, you have been selected by our staff to receive the following: An all expense paid trip to Los Angeles, California to meet the cast of Teen Beach Movie, five star hotel accommodation with a two week stay and a $100,000. Please email back a confirmation. Signed, Mia Buchanan._"

"Woah, you're too lucky, oh my god." She said, jumping up and down excitedly. "You get to meet the cast, plus $100,000? I can't with you right now."

I was still shell shocked, so I dialed the number that was on the phone, and a woman's voice answered after four rings.

"_Mia Buchanan, how may I help you?"_

"Hi, my name's Joseph Perez. I just received an email from you guys, and its saying I won the Teen Beach Movie sweepstakes."

"_Oh yes, it's true. You won the first slot in the contest and the next winner will be emailed this afternoon. Now, about transportation, the car will be arriving to pick you up on Friday at 3:00 a.m. The flight is a total eight of hours long, and it leaves the airport at 4 a.m. We'll arrive in LAX at about 12 noon, and after that we head to the hotel to freshen up and then we head to the studio to meet the cast. How does that sound?_" she asked.

"Sounds awesome! But when you say we .." I replied, raising my eyebrow in confusion.

"_I'll be joining you as your personal assistant._" She said simply, with a bit of excitement.

"Seriously?" I asked a bit enthusiastically.

"_As a heart attack," _she chuckled, "_I'll see you on Friday._"

After hanging up, I decided to run to my room and start packing some stuff; all the while trying to actually comprehend the fact that I'm gonna be heading to L.A for two weeks.

While packing, I remembered that California was warm, and from what I've heard, kind of muggy when it rains, but I decided I didn't care, I hate shorts. I love jeans, khaki's, cargos.. all that jazz, it was always a thing with me. Wiping my forehead, I zipped up the suitcase and sat down on the bed, slipping on my headphones and blasting _Dirty Diana _by The Weeknd on my phone. Content with the medium volume, I laid down and quickly fell asleep, thinking about the two days left until the trip.

* * *

Okay, so those two days went by quicker than quick could possibly go, and I was now sitting out front on my porch waiting for the car to come pick me up. My sister and two brothers were outside with me, and my Mom also.

"Since you're going to the place where all the sharks are, can you bring me a shark?" asked my youngest brother, Chy.

I laughed and ruffled his hair, "If I can find one for cheap buddy."

"Can you bring me a skateboard? Like a Deathwish?" asked my other brother, "I need a new one. My board's trucks are all washed up."

"You guys are so greedy," scolded my mother, "How is gonna buy you a skateboard and shark when he needs to bring me Mickey Mouse?"

"Uh, let's not forget my extensions?" chimed in my sister.

"Can we not?" I said aloud, standing up.

As if on cue, a limo pulled into the front of the house as I stood there extremely confused. I looked from my family, to the limo, then back to my family. The moon roof on the limo opened up, and a woman shot out of it.

"Joseph Perez?" she asked.

"Uh, that's me!" I said, raising my hand in confusion.

"It's me, Mia. We spoke on the phone. This is your ride to the airport! Oh, this must be your family! Mia Buchanan, nice to meet you guys!" she said.

I hugged my family, said a quick prayer and dragged my luggage to the limo, closing the door behind me.

The inside of the limo was amazing. This had to be the limo people rent out for celebrities! There were neon lights that outlined the corners of the limo, and a mini bar with various sodas on the side. Mia smiled at me, and welcomed me in.

"Hey, what's up?" she asked politely, shaking my hand, "It's nice to finally meet you."

It surprised me that Mia was this young, and so strikingly beautiful. I swear on everything, she had to be no more than twenty three years old, and she looked just like my ex-girlfriend.

Thinking about my ex-girlfriend, who to be honest, I'm still in love with, I stammered, "H-Hi, it's n-nice to meet you and WOW you are beautiful!"

She laughed heartedly, "Thanks, you're too sweet. Are you excited about going to Hollywood?"

"Yeah, but most of all to meet the cast. They all seem so chill, and cool." I replied coolly.

"They are, They happen to be very nice and wonderful people. Which one are you excited on meeting the most?" she asked, drinking from her bottle of water.

"Maybe Ross Lynch, he's just so cool. Plus, I even look up to him a little, even though he's younger than me." I said, leaning back into the seat.

"Ross is the sweetest boy ever, and you two seem like you guys have similar personalities." She replied.

"Yeah, I really like his music too. It's pretty awesome, and his band's music is the soundtrack to my summer." I laughed.

"Well, I can't wait till you meet him!" she replied, as we began our ride to the airport.

* * *

Okay, if the limo, and first class plane ride wasn't enough, this hotel room definitely beat them out by a long shot. I mean, I couldn't even count this place as a hotel room, it's more an apartment! When I walked in, I couldn't help but dropping my bags on the floor and gawking at this place.

The living room was huge! It had a large, sixty inch plasma screen TV that was plastered onto the wall, and below it was a DVD player, and empty space, which was where I put my PS3 in the meantime, and the sofa was also a large pullout queen sized bed. My Bedroom was amazing. The bed wasn't a twin, or a full like in most hotels, and it wasn't even a queen, it was a KING SIZED BED! Not to mention the bedroom had its own plasma screen TV albeit it was a bit smaller than the one in the living room.

I took a shower, and dressed in a pair of beige khaki's, a white tee and a black vest with a black and white Yankee cap. I walked next door to Mia's hotel room – I mean apartment – and knocked on the door.

"Ready to go?" she asked, coming out of the room.

"Ready Steady!" I said, quoting Teen Beach Movie. She chuckled, and tapped the top of my head before leading me out towards the limo.

"Are you nervous?" she asked, as we began our ride to the Studio.

"Eh, a little. I mean, the closest person to famous I've met was Marc Anthony, and I was so young I hardly remember. My uncle plays in his band is all I remember." I replied.

"Get out! That's amazing!" she began, "But nah, you don't have to worry about anything, these guys are so sweet and nice its unbearable."

I laughed heartedly and smiled, "I hope so. I really hope I don't do anything embarrassing."

"You'll be fine, and if anything you got me here. I'm not just your assistant, I'm friend too!" she beamed.

I really liked Mia, she was pretty awesome. I never expected her to be so young and laid back. We pulled into a parking lot, and a young girl that looked to be about fifteen was standing alone near the door to the studio and it seemed like she was jittery.

Getting out the limo, Mia introduced both herself and I to the young girl, whose name was Natalie. Apparently, she was a huge fan of Ross Lynch and entered the contest solely to get to know the guy, and she was in fact fifteen.

"He's just so hot." She said, jumping up and down, "I can't wait to meet him, I think I'm gonna die."

I chuckled a bit, "Let's hope that doesn't happen then. It'd be a shame to finally meet him and then you die."

"I picked out this outfit just for him, hopefully he likes it!" she said, fixing her hair sharply and adjusting her mini skirt.

"You look beautiful, he'll like it." I assured her, as we walked into the studio.

The studio hall was large, with various doors outlining the hallway, each labeled with the name of the actor or actress that got ready in there. With each step we took, it seemed like Natalie got more and more nervous. I put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and she smiled.

Mia led us through a huge pair of double doors, and there they were. The entire cast of _Teen Beach Movie_ was sitting on a couple couches in the middle of the room. They were all conversating, and looked like they were having fun. I kept as minimal eye contact as possible with them, keeping my head down. I stared at my Raptor 7's as I walked, counting the paces it took to reach the couch. Unfortunately, since I wasn't looking I ran smack into somebody, and since my Jordan's were still kind of new, I slipped right away and fell backwards and if things couldn't get any worse, whatever I slammed into fell on top of me, the weight knocking the air out of me before I even had a chance to reciprocate what was going on.

Apparently, the whole left side of my face felt itchy, as I groggily looked to the side and noticed a full head of blonde hair. The object I slammed into groaned, and he lifted himself over me, both of his arms on either side of my head.

"I am so sorry, I should've been watching where I was going. You see, I thought my shoe laces were untied cuz' usually Jordan's have very loose shoelaces and these are Raptor 7's so WOW I'm just babbling, I'm sorry.." I rambled, sighing in confusion.

He chuckled, before fixing my hat, and then his hair. "You sure do apologize a lot. Name's Ross, what's up? You okay?"

"Uh, yeah. How about you? And my name's Joseph but everyone calls me Jay." I stammered, as he held out a hand to help me up. I took it, and he clapped me on the shoulder.

"Nice to meet you." He smiled, as he walked me over to the rest of the cast.

"Are you alright?" Garret Clayton asked, as he shook my hand. Wow, he looks taller when he played Tanner, but in person he's kinda short.

"I'm good, thanks," I smiled, "It's nice to meet you, you have a great voice."

"Aw, thanks." He smiled before I moved onto the next person who was none other than Maia Mitchell herself.

"Hey Jay, I hope that fall didn't hurt you, or Ross's crash landing." She chuckled, as she shook my hand, and then pulled me in for a hug.

"It's nice to meet you! I love your hair, its beautiful!" I replied, smiling.

"You're so sweet!" she replied.

"Jay! It's so nice to meet you!" smiled Grace Phillips, as she hugged me tightly, "This is John Deluca, aka –"

"Butchy." I smiled, taking his hand and shaking it, "It's awesome to meet you both! And you must be Chrissie Fit, pshh none other than –"

"Cheechee!" she said in her biker voice, and then did her signature laugh. I chuckled and hugged her while they introduced themselves to Natalie.

I went and sat near a couch as the cast got to know Natalie. I felt my phone vibrate, and saw that I had a KiK from my sister.

_ Chloe: How's Hollywood you lucky kid?_

_ Me: It's sooo cool! I'm with the cast right now but they're meeting the other winner, she's pretty cool. Her name's Natalie._

_ Chloe: I hate you. Did you meet Ross Lynch?_

_ Me: Yes, he fell on top of me._

_Chloe: Uhh?_

_Me: I tripped and he fell down with me.. talk about first impressions._

_Chloe: Omg, lmfaoooooo, you're an idiot._

_Me: Shut up, I gotta go. Love you._

_Chloe: Love you too big brother! :*_

I chuckled, and slid my phone back into my pocket, missing my family a bit more. "Why're you here all by yourself?" asked a voice from behind me.

I looked over to my right and there was Ross Lynch, sitting here smiling at me. He was way taller than what he looks like on TV, and his hair was much brighter. "Sorry, I was just letting you guys get to know Natalie a bit more."

"It's alright, but.. maybe Natalie wasn't the one I wanted to get to know." He smiled, "We're all going to my house for a movie night and a barbecue, wanna come?"

"Really?" I asked, a bit confused.

"Yeah, of course. Why not?" he replied.

"Sure." I smiled.

"But, me and you are gonna have a conversation. I got to know Natalie, and now its your turn!" he said cheerfully, "I don't bite, I can tell you're nervous. But uh, thanks for treating me like a normal person and not some celebrity. Natalie had some ear piercing scream when I hugged her."

"Aw, she thinks your 'totally hot' and not to mention 'super cute', give her a break." I said, imitating Natalie and laughing afterwards.

He chuckled and motioned me to follow him out to the limo, where the rest of the cast followed along. I couldn't believe I was with these guys, and more so I couldn't believe that I was actually going to Ross's house for a barbecue and movie night, and then it hit me.

I was supposed to have a conversation.

With Ross.

About me.

My Life.

* * *

I hope you guys liked it.. I wanted to write something other than fanfiction you know? This isn't implying anything about Ross's sexuality at all so ..

One more thing, this story is my exact life minus the winning the contest and meeting these guys. My real name and sister's real name are in here

Oh & if you ever wanna talk to me, you guys could add me on KiK: x_Jay

^ hit me up for anything. to talk, story suggestions, to be my friend :) for whatever.


	2. Swimming Pools & Random Outings

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, I'll try to keep updating as much as possible.

* * *

The limo was waiting for us out front, the black metallic paint job glistening in the afternoon sun. Garret, Natalie, and Chrissie walked towards the limo first, holding the door open for us to get in. Unfortunately, since Ross and I were the final two out of the studio, the limo was already packed and one of us couldn't fit.

"Uh oh, I don't think there's any room in the limo for two people." Ross laughed a bit nervously.

I scratched the back of my neck, and then pointed to the cab that was parked at the far end of the studio parking lot. "I could take a cab, just give me your address and I'll meet you guys there?"

He gave me a stern look. "You really think I'm gonna leave you alone? That wouldn't be cool."

"I'll be fine, you should ride with your friends dude, I'll be right behind you." I smiled reassuringly.

"How about we just take the cab together? I mean, do you know how much a cab charges by the mile in Hollywood? My house is pretty far from here." Ross replied.

"Ross, I'll be okay.. you really don't have to –" I began before he cut me off.

"We'll meet you guys at my place, me and Jay are gonna take a cab." He told his friends in the limo, before patting me on the back and leading me to the taxi, "Let's go man."

"Y-you really didn't have to –"

"Don't worry about it, bro." He said, as he held the door open to the cab, we sat down and he handed the cab driver a bill that I couldn't decipher, "Show us around town."

"Wait, what? I thought we were going to your house for a barbecue?" I asked, confused.

"We are, but we're taking the long way. I wanna show you around town." He said, "I want you to get the full Hollywood experience."

"B-But won't your friends –"

"They'll be alright, they've been to my house thousands of times, besides.. Natalie kind of scares me." He said.

I burst out laughing. "Wait, you're afraid of Ms. Teen Fanatic?"

"Wanna know something? But just.. don't laugh," he said, putting his head down.

"I'd never laugh.. I'm not like that man. Judging is the last thing I should do." I replied, patting his shoulder in response.

"Well.. when it comes to fans.. I hate the attention. All the screaming, hugging tightly, stalking, paparazzi.. I feel like something bad will happen. I wanna be Ross Lynch the normal guy, not Ross Lynch the guy who plays Austin Moon, not Ross Lynch, the pop-star." He said rather glumly.

I was taken aback at his confession. This kid was deep, and he was the only celebrity I would ever know that hates all the fame and glamour.

"Hey man look.. You're a great guy. Don't think of it as fame and attention, think of it as a reward for doing what you love, you know? You're a normal guy in my eyes, and you'll always be a normal guy to all your friends and family. They're just extra proud of you, like me." I said, comforting him a bit.

He looked up, and took me by surprise with a nice embrace. We stood like this for several minutes before he released me and smiled. "I've been wanting to tell someone that for the longest, and I'm glad that the person I got to tell, understands me."

"I'm always here bro.. well for the next two weeks." I replied.

"Two weeks is all?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's the limit. It sucks that today's the only day I get to hang with you guys."

"Wait, what? Only one day?" He asked, his tone becoming sad.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Taxi Driver, can you take us to 5100 Gavinwood Drive?" he asked the driver, as the taxi made a hard left onto another street.

* * *

We arrived at a large estate, which had a gravel driveway, and a large fountain on the front lawn. I stared in utter shock and awe at the place, wondering if this was for real, if I was actually here right now.

"Home, sweet home." He said, before gesturing me out of the cab and near his front door.

"Wow, this place is amazing.." I muttered, making sure to let him walk before me.

"Thanks." He said, chuckling a bit before walking me in, "Mom, Dad, I'm home!"

"There you are! Your friends came over without you, and we were worried about you. I was about to send Riker and Rydell out to find you." Said a voice from the hallway. A woman appeared, hugging him before turning to me, "Oh, and who's this?"

"Mom, this is Jay, he's the second contest winner." He smiled.

"Oh! Its so nice to meet you Jay, I'm Stormie Lynch, but you can just call me Stormie," she said, giving me a warm hug, "I hope you're hungry, my husband is cooking burgers and hot dogs on the grill."

"It's nice to meet you too, and thank you so much, I am quite hungry actually." I replied, smiling politely.

"Oh, its no problem dear. By the way Ross, your friends Calum, Raini and Laura stopped by as well, I hope you don't mind." She said, making her way to the kitchen.

"Thanks Mom!" he replied, "Come on Jay, come meet everyone else."

Ross led me to the backyard, where multiple people were gathered, conversing and eating various foods. We walked past the pool, and towards a group of people who sitting in a circle eating food and laughing amongst themselves.

"Guys, this is Jay." He said, as they turned their heads to me, "Jay, these are my brothers Riker, Rocky, and Ryland. My sister, Rydell, and our bestest bud, Ellington Ratliff."

"Hey, what's up? Nice to meet you guys." I said, as they all greeted me in return.

"Hi Jay, how are you?" asked Rydell, as she got up to hug me. "It's so nice to meet you, congrats on winning the contest!"

"Oh, he's the other winner? Phew, at least he didn't go buck wild when he saw us." Said Riker, with a flip of his blond hair.

"Seriously man, that Natalie girl went insane." Agreed Ryland and Rocky.

"Alright guys, enough." Said Ratliff, "Congrats on the contest Jay."

Ross shuffled awkwardly, before leading me away from his family and towards another group of people. I took one glance at his face, and he had anger plastered all over it.

"Are you okay?" I asked, worriedly.

"I'm fine." He said angrily, before rushing away into the house and leaving me alone.

I was confused, and honestly a bit hurt that he just left without reason, but I'm guessing he had his reasons. I felt a hand tap my shoulder, and I turned around to see Laura Marano smiling at me.

"Hi, I know we haven't met yet, but my name is Laura. I saw that you were with Ross, and I also saw that he just stormed off.. is he alright?" she asked.

"Hey, my name's Jay," I said, for about the fiftieth time today, "And to be honest, I don't know.. I mean.. he was f-fine before.. I think I should just go. Maybe I might have gotten him upset or something."

"Oh nonsense, I doubt it. I mean I saw him walk you halfway. Gosh, you must be feeling so out of place right now." She replied, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Is it that obvious?" I asked, nervously.

"Kinda.. Come with me, you could meet the cast of Austin and Ally." She said, with a kind smile. She grabbed my hand and started to walk me towards a gazebo the Lynch's had near their pool.

Sitting next to each other playing cards, were Calum Worthy and Raini Rodriguez, and they both looked up at us and smiled.

"Hey Laura, who's this?" asked Raini.

"This is Jay, he's the second contest winner that got to meet Ross and the cast of Teen Beach Movie." She explained.

"Oh wow, congratulations!" said Calum, "How are you liking Hollywood?"

"It's amazing so far."

"That's good. I'm glad you're enjoying it, have you been to downtown Beverly Hills?" asked Raini.

"Not yet, but I'm planning to head down there tomorrow morning for some shopping." I replied.

"Want some company? Me and Raini were actually going to go down there for breakfast, lunch and some shopping. We could show you around to the best stores for guys around here."

"Sure, that'd be awesome." I said, before taking a risk, "Can I join you guys? I see you're playing I-Declare-War, I love that game."

"Of course!" said Calum.

I proceeded to sit down, but not before looking at the Lynch household once more, and wondering if Ross was alright.

* * *

About a few hours later, the night befell the evening, and the summer sounds of crickets and other nightly creatures filled the air. We all helped the Lynch parents clean up the yard before we decided to head out, giving my number to both Raini and Laura for our outing the next morning. I called Mia and told her that Laura had offered me a ride to my hotel suite, and she happily agreed, surprisingly going on a date tonight.

In the car, Laura had decided to take the long route. I stood quiet for most of the ride, enveloped in my own thoughts. I listened to the hum of the car engine, and the tires grinding against the gravel pavement.

"He'll be fine." Laura said, keeping her eyes firmly on the road.

"Huh?"

"Ross. He'll be okay, but .. if he was upset, it doesn't justify the fact that he just left you there alone like that. It was pretty mean." She said softly.

"I'm sure he had his reasons. It was mean yes, I kinda got a little mad, yeah. But it's no biggie." I replied, shrugging my shoulders. "Oh, this is me."

She pulled into the drive thru of my hotel, and said a quick goodbye before speeding off. I walked into the lobby, greeted the worker at the desk, and headed to the elevator.

I don't know why, but I started to think about my ex-girlfriend and how we used to argue so much. I missed her terribly, that won't change, but I couldn't help but feel anger towards her. The way she would suddenly get upset over anything, and storm off the way she did.

The elevator let me off at my floor, and I walked into my room, throwing my key on the counter, and heading to my room. Today had been such a long and eventful day, so I just flopped onto my bed and stared at the ceiling, before hearing my phone vibrate in my pocket.

Groaning, I reached into my pocket, not even caring to look at the caller ID, and answered.

"Hello?"

"Jay? Is that you?" a voice asked.

"Yes, may I ask who this is?"

"It's Ross .. could we talk for a minute?" He asked, sounding nervous.

I shot up from my bed, extremely shocked. "Um, sure .. but how did you get my number?"

"I kinda pestered Laura into giving it to me .. um, this might sound odd, but can you open the door? The hallway's creeping me out." He replied.

What? He was here? I launched out of bed, and opened the front door, seeing a sheepish looking Ross standing there. "Come in." I said.

"Thanks."

I shut the door, and gestured over to the living room, "Want some coffee?"

"Sure. But before we get into that .. I just wanna apologize for earlier. You know, just .. leaving you like that and just suddenly snapping." He said.

"It's alright, I'm pretty sure you had your reasons."

"No Jay, its not okay, I feel horrible. It's just, my brothers were kinda rude, comparing you to someone else, not even saying hi the right way, it just .. I don't know, irked me." He said.

"Ross, it's okay. No hard feelings." I said, pouring the coffee into the coffee maker.

"Can I make it up to you?" he asked.

"How? You really don't have to." I replied, pouring the water into the maker.

"I wanna invite you over to dinner with my family tomorrow night. I want you to properly meet them, is that okay with you?" he asked.

"Sure, of course.. But Ross, I meant it when I said it was okay. Here's your coffee." I replied, placing the cup onto the counter.

He grabbed the cup, took a sip, and raised an eyebrow. "This has to be the best cup of coffee I've ever had."

"Puerto Rican style." I said smiling, "My mom wanted a little taste of home for Hollywood."

"Your mom sounds awesome." He replied,

"She is, she's one amazing parent. I mean, I don't live with her, but she sure looked for me more than my father ever did."

"Is your father.. around?" he asked.

"No, not much. A text here and there, but not much." I replied, walking over to the sofa.

"Do you miss him?"

"Sometimes, but I don't think he feels the same about me." I replied, more sadly than usual.

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright, but um, you seem really tired.. do you wanna lie down?" I asked, scared, "I'm sorry, I just .. these questions about my dad kinda got me a little upset and I'd rather not be alone for the night. The sofa is a pullout queen mattress."

He chuckled a bit before agreeing, and wishing me goodnight before I headed back into my room. I laid down again, before thinking how ridiculous I was. I had just invited Ross Lynch to spend the night because I was suddenly depressed about my father? I mean, its been over two years since I've seen or even spoken to my dad last.. so why do I suddenly miss him so much? Why was I suddenly tearing up?

The loss of a father figure wasn't a surprise to me, seeing as my parents divorced before I even turned two, but I guess I'd harbored so many emotions that they were just building up to the point where they needed to be let out. I cried, and cried before I let sleep take over me, but not before feeling a warm arm around me, and a soft voice telling me, "It'll be okay."

* * *

Hope you enjoyed!


	3. Apologies & Oh'Em'Gee's

**A/N: Okay, so apparently this story is gaining quite a bit of hate due to the fact that it's about real people, and the fact that it uses the actors from Teen Beach Movie and Austin & Ally, but is posted in the A&A section. For those reviewers that didn't even bother to read the second chapter; you wanna report me because you don't know how to read? If you would be kind enough to read on, you'd see that actors from A&A are the primary subjects of this story. The TBM cast was a basis for the first chapter only, so you wanna report me? Go ahead, I'm not backing down. & as for "Not letting stories about real people be posted", I see tons and tons of Raura, Raia, & R5 fics on this site posted in A&A and TBM as well so hop off my shit, no one's forcing you to read my fics.**

**Anyway, thanks to the positive reviews of this story, they mean alot. On to chapter three.**

**Chapter 3: Apologies & Oh'Em'Gees'**

* * *

The bright rays of sunlight penetrated their way into my hotel room, the lights dancing and illuminating the room. Groaning, I shoved the pillow over my head, and heard my phone's alarm start to go off. Blindingly reaching for it, I groggily lifted my head up and noticed that I was supposed to go shopping with Raini and Laura today. I looked down and noticed I still had the clothes on from the previous night, which confused me to no point's end.

I walked out of the room, and into the living room stopping suddenly when I saw a figure sleeping on the pull-out sofa bed. Cocking my head to the side, and almost stumbling over an end table, I took notice of Ross's sleeping form. I opened my mouth in shock as the event's of the day before unfolded themselves in my mind; Ross leaving me at the barbecue suddenly, Laura driving me home, Ross coming over to apologize, how could I forget all of that in one night?

I walked over to the kitchen to start a cup of coffee, before I decided to make two cups in case Ross were to wake up. I looked for some pots and pans, finding some in the cabinet below the sink. I cracked open some eggs, quiet as to not wake up the sleeping celebrity on my sofa bed, and began to scramble them, then sizzling some bacon as well as putting some toast in the toaster. I set both plates on the kitchen table then ran to brush my teeth, and take a shower, emerging fully dressed for my outing with Laura and Raini.

By the time I came back to the kitchen, Ross was still sleeping, occasionally flinching in his slumber and the coffee was finally finished. I added some vanilla creme to the coffee, a trick my sister had taught me, and set both ups on the table as well. I ran to the fridge and poured a cup of orange juice, and also chocolate milk and set them next to Ross's plate. I began to check up Instagram on my phone, when it started to ring, causing me to jump and throw my phone on the table in surprise.

"Hello?" I asked, as I noticed the unfamiliar number on my caller ID.

"Jay? It's Laura, I was just calling to check up on you and see if we're still going out today, I'm ready whenever you are, Raini's on her way to pick us up." she said over the phone, positivity in her voice.

"Oh, right. Hey Laura, yeah I'm ready, but can you give me like a half hour?" I asked, looking back at Ross who was starting to awaken, "I've gotta take care of some things first."

"Sure," she replied, "Just text me whenever you're ready, this is my number."

"Got it, thanks. See ya in a few." I said, before hanging up.

Ross walked over to me slowly, sitting across from me at the kitchen table, "What's all this?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

"I made breakfast just in case you were hungry. I don't know what you usually drink in the morning, but I put chocolate milk, orange juice, and coffee.. just 'cause I wasn't sure.." I replied, shutting myself up when I realized I was talking too much.

"You made me breakfast?" he asked.

"Yes.." I said, as my heart dropped, "..is that okay?"

"Dude, this is awesome! I haven't had a homemade breakfast in forever!" he said happily, "Thank you.. I don't really deserve this nice treatment though.."

"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well you know.. after I like, ditched you last night." he said, looking down.

"Why does it bother you this much?" I asked, "No offense, but.. it wasn't really that big."

"It was to me.. My family can be a bit.. eccentric, sometimes rude and even overbearing. They didn't even greet you properly. I didn't want you to think that I'm like that too." He said, rather sadly.

"Family can be crazy." I muttered.

"I'd like to meet yours one day." he said, moving his fork around his food, "I mean, you're so nice and cool, and seriously.. breakfast? Haven't had a friend treat me like this ever. You must come from a good family."

"You mean one that judges me all the time?" I said a bit too harshly, "I'm sorry.. I just.. I tend to stay away from my family whenever I have the chance."

"They judge you?" he asked.

"Somewhat."

"On what?" he asked again, general interest in his tone.

"It's nothing.." I replied, taking a sip of my coffee.

"Can't be nothing, 'cause I can tell when a nothing is really a something." he said.

"It's just, ugh.. they're so judgemental its not even funny. Just 'cause I can dance better than I can hit a ball, or I can sing better than I can talk about cars." I said, sighing, "It sucks being part of a family who'd rather shun than support."

"You sing and dance?" he asked.

"A little. Why?"

"I knew it. I knew you had something special about you. I can tell you have a lot of talent. Are you in school?" he asked.

"Uhm yeah.. I go to Med School, I'm actually on vacation right now." I replied, "But yeah, about you leaving, it's fine. At least you came over to apologize."

"I know.. but I still wanna make it up to you. How about you come over my place tonight for dinner? That way you could meet my family for real." Ross asked.

"Really? You mentioned that last night, but I didn't think you were serious.."

"Yeah, why not?" he said, "It could be fun. Tonight is Family Movie Night, and it's Ryland's pick of the genre.. and I know he's gonna choose horror."

"I love horror movies." I smiled.

"I know." He smiled back.

* * *

After Ross had left, I waited downstairs for Laura and Rani to arrive. I decided to play on my phone for a bit, bringing up Temple Run 2, and trying to beat my high score. After about several minutes of playing, I noticed a silver BMW pull up with Raini driving, and Laura in the passenger's seat. I smiled and entered the car, as we drove around the biggest Hollywood Hotspots. I stared in shock and awe at the many, many cars that I'd only seen in movies, and shops that one would only dream of going to.

After about an hour or so, Raini, Laura and I walked to a nice cuban restaurant in downtown Hollywood, where we ordered food and were sipping on various sodas. Laura looked at me and smiled.

"Are you alright? That was some shopping spree.. and some walk." she said, rubbing her heels.

"I'm fine, thanks.. and thank you guys so much for taking me out today and showing me around, I had such a good time." I said, smiling.

"Aw, it's no problem! You're a really nice guy, you know?" said Raini, rubbing my arm.

"Yeah, you're so sweet! The night of the barbecue, honestly.. you seemed a little left out and there was something about you that I just had to get to know you. You seemed like such a good person." Laura agreed.

"You could tell all of that? Am I that open? Ross said the same thing." I said, quickly scolding myself for letting that information out.

"Wait, when did Ross tell you that? I thought he left you at the party." asked Raini.

"He didn't leave me per se, he… had to use the bathroom." I lied.

"For three hours?" Laura asked, smirking, "It's okay, you can trust us. Did he call you? 'Cause I did give him your number when he asked, if that's alright with you."

"It's fine.. and.. yeah he called… and came over… and spent the night." I said slowly, and cautiously.

"What!?" they both exclaimed at the same time.

"Yeah, he called me, then he was at my front door the whole time. He apologized, and then I started to get upset about my Dad and asked if he could spend the night because I didn't wanna be alone and -" I paused, taking in a huge breath, "He said okay, spent the night and then to 'make it up to me' he wants me to come over to his house to dinner to meet what his family is really like and so nervous."

"Woah, woah.. slow down!" Raini said, grasping me from being on the verge of getting a panic attack, "Ross invited you to his house.. to meet his family.. over dinner..?"

"Yes, yes and finally, yes." I sighed.

"He felt _that _bad?" Laura asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion, "I mean, what he did wasn't right.. but it wasn't that serious either."

"That's what I said!" I exclaimed, "But he was so persistent, and I just said said yes just so he could feel at peace with himself I guess.."

"Why are you so nervous though?" Raini asked, taking a sip of her Mountain Dew.

"I'm shy.. well, when it comes to meeting new people.." I replied, playing around with my food.

"Don't be. Ross is one of the nicest people out there, and his family is great once you get to know them. You're a good guy, you have nothing to worry about!" Laura said, smiling at me reassuringly.

"You know what this means right?" Raini asked, as her and Laura looked at each other at the same exact time.

"Shopping!" they both exclaimed loudly.

"Wait, what? What were we just doing for the past two hours?" I asked, pointing to the number of bags that were strewn about the table.

"That was sight-seeing shopping, now it's time for dinner date shopping!" Raini said excitedly, as her and Laura giggled.

"Woah, woah, woah.. dinner date? Who said this was a date? I didn't.. neither did Ross.. what's going on? I'm scared." I blabbered.

Laura smiled, and chuckled. "Dinner date is a term me and Raini use for important events. In this case, you should dress casual, we're gonna take you to this awesome clothing store on main after we eat, they have lots of stuff your style for you to pick from."

"Oh boy.. I'm even more nervous now than I was before.."

"Why?" Laura asked.

"Why not?" I whispered, "It's Ross Lynch's family we're talking about.. I'm just Jay.. just Jay. I'm not special like you guys. You all have this bond that I've seen in movies.. I wouldn't know what to do or say.."

"Aw Jay, don't sell yourself short. You're getting along with me and Raini so far right? Just have faith, I know his family will love you." Laura replied.

"I feel like a teenage girl.." I muttered, "All of this to meet a friend's family."

"Welcome to Hollywood." they laughed, as we resumed our lunch.

* * *

The limo dropped me off at the Lynch residence at around seven. I walked towards the door nervously, hoping for the best but already expecting the worst. I've never really been able to be very open with many people, which is why I was so nervous. I'm always awkward at this kind of stuff, usually messing up something in the process.

I rang the doorbell once, easy to not sound impatient as I waited for someone to come open the door. I glanced around the lawn, which was huge and spacious, with many flowers covering the upper portion of the garden. There was a small fountain shaped like a mini-waterfall that was set in the center, kind of like the ones I saw on home design magazines. I heard a muffled voice behind the door, and braced myself for the worst.

Ross opened the door, his signature smile painted on his face, and a relaxed expression formed at his features, as if he was relieved. "Hey, you made it!"

"Yup, how's everything?" I asked.

"Good, good and you? You uh, you look.. you look great…" he stammered, "I bet Laura and Raini took you to Jerry's, I saw that outfit there when I went shopping the other day." He said quickly. "W-wanna come in?"

"I'm good, thanks. Thanks for the compliment, love that store, and sure." I replied, answering all of his questions albeit confusedly.

"Awesome!" he smiled, as he led me inside. We walked over to the kitchen where his family was seated at the dining table. "Mom, Dad, you remember Jay, one of the contest winners?"

"Oh yes! Hello Jay, how are you?" Stormie said, as she gave me a warm motherly hug.

"I'm good and yourself?" I asked.

"I'm doing fine, thank you. I hope you like Italian food." she winked, as her husband turned to me.

"Hey Jay, what's up, how are you?" said Mark, as he walked over and shook my hand.

"I'm doing great sir, and how about yourself?"

"I'm doing just fine." he smiled, "Come, sit at the table and meet the rest of the family."

Ross walked me over to the table where his brothers and sister were sitting, and sat me down next to him. "You guys remember Jay right?"

"Of course!" said Rydel, as she got up to hug me. "How are you? Do you like Hollywood so far?"

"I'm good, and you? I love Hollywood actually, so much more awesome than where I'm from." I replied smiling.

"What's up man? I'm Riker." a boy who looked liked Ross said, "Where are you from?"

"Hey Riker, I'm Jay. I'm from Jersey." I replied.

"Do they fist pump all the time over there?" Rocky asked, as he greeted me.

I chuckled, "Not really, some people just like, do it for fun. Besides, where they filmed the show is destroyed anyway.."

"Really?" asked Ryland, "What happened?"

"Well, last October there was this huge Hurricane called Superstorm Sandy.. It ruined all of Seaside Heights, the boardwalk, everything. The roller coaster was found in the middle of the ocean." I explained.

"Oh my god.. that's so sad.." said Rydel, "Was anyone hurt?"

"Actually, people did die.. over forty I believe.. New York had it really bad too, it knocked over a couple beams and stuff, and parts of the city got flooded really bad." I said.

"Wow.. glad you're away from that right?" asked Ross.

"Very."

"Alright guys, enough about hurricanes and sad stories. Let's eat!" said Stormie, as she and Mark walked in with plates and plates of food.

They set the plates on the table as everyone began to dig in. This experience wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, or at all how I expected it to turn out. Riker and Rocky made various jokes, making us all laugh, and Riker even told one joke that made Ryland spit his food out and his parents to scold him. After we finished eating dinner, Mark walked into the kitchen with plates of ice cream and cake. He set one before everyone, and we all started to eat, talking about our lives and what was going on in them.

"Jay's a double threat you know." said Ross in between bites of his cake.

My eyes widened in shock.

"Huh? What do you mean Ross?" asked Stormie.

"He sings and dances." he explained.

Oh no, oh god. This was exactly the thing I knew was gonna go wrong. My heart started to beat faster and faster, in fear that they'd make fun of me.

"Oh really? Can you sing for us?" asked Rydel.

"Yeah man! Come on! You might even join the band." joked Riker.

"Do you play any instruments?" asked Mark.

"Uh.. yeah. I um, I play Piano, Guitar, Bass, Drums, and… Recorder." I winced, the last instrument sounding kiddie.

"Oh, follow me. You're singing for us on the piano!" said Rydel, as she grabbed my hand and walked me over to the living room. In the middle of the room, there was a large piano, and she sat me down on the chair positioned in front of it., while the rest of the Lynch's gathered on the sofa.

"Well.. okay. Here it goes." I said, clearing my throat and making a mental reminder to scold Ross for blowing my secret up. I began to work my fingers on the keys, playing the rhythm and tempo for the song, as I started to sing:

_I've seen the world_

_Done it All_

_Had my Cake now._

_ Diamonds, brilliant_

_ and Bel Air now_

_ Hot Summer Nights, Mid July_

_ When you and I, were forever wild_

_ The crazy days, city lights,_

_ The way you'd play with me like a child._

_ Will you still love me,_

_ When I'm no longer Young and Beautiful?_

_ Will you still love me,_

_ When I've got nothin' but, my aching soul?_

_ I know you will, I know you will_

_ I know that you will_

_ Will you still love me, when I'm no longer beautiful?_

I took my hands off of the piano, and turned to the family sitting in the couch, staring at me intently. They all had smiles plastered on their faces, with Ross smiling extremely cheesily. "I'm sorry, I was nervous, I know I messed up."

"Are you kidding?" asked Rydel, jumping up in excitement, "That was amazing!"

"Really?"

"Yes! You have an amazing voice!" yelled Ross, as I looked at him confusingly but smiled nonetheless.

"You have a wonderful talent, and a lovely voice." Stormie said, "Have you ever considered singing before?"

"Not really no, I mean I auditioned for a spot in a talent show at school, and I got the spot, but I also auditioned for dancing, and my crew needed me more you know? I wanted to try out for the second talent show.. but I had work and some family issues." I replied.

"Oh, that's too bad. You have a lovely, lovely voice." she said, smiling. I couldn't get over how motherly she was, even if a person weren't her child. She was so nice, and supportive, no wonder Ross and his siblings are so happy.

After we finished talking about singing, Ryland picked the horror movie he wanted to see, which was Evil Dead. As we all scrambled around, looking for a seat, Ross spotted me and patted down the open area next to him on the couch. Reluctantly, I sat down next to him, and stared intently at the screen.

I was still a little mad that he told my secret about singing, but it was fading now that I got actual positive reviews about it. The movie started up with a young woman walking in the woods, with various shadows of figures following her. Ross's thigh and mine were slightly touching, so I could literally feel him tense up at the scary scenes.

He leant in closer, and whispered, "This movie's too scary, you wanna come downstairs and see our practice room?"

Unsure of what to say, I spoke before I thought, "Sure, I've seen this movie like seven times, I have the DVD at home."

"Hey guys, I'm gonna show Jay the practice area, is that cool?" he asked aloud, gaining a nod from his parents.

"Psh, you're just scared dude!" teased Ryland.

"Hey, I'm a horror fanatic, and this movie creeped me out too. But hey, wanna know something?" I asked, leaning towards Ryland.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"It's based on factual and true events." I said, wagging my eyebrows. "You see that book? My uncle has a copy."

"No way!" said Riker.

"Google it man, _Necromonicon Ex-Mortis_." I replied, before following Ross out of the living room.

He led me to a door under the main stairwell, and held out his hand. "Here, give me your hand. The light switch is all the way at the bottom."

"No railing?" I asked.

"You can trust me." he chuckled, "I won't let you fall."

"How reassuring." I joked, before taking his hand and leading me down the spiral staircase.

The basement was huge, but at the moment, very, very dark. For some reason, a deadite from Evil Dead wound up popping its way in my head, and I soon became nervous. The light switched on, and the sight before me made me gasp.

There were tons, and tons of instruments, such as pianos, guitars, bass', a drum set, a microphone for singing, and a sound booth built for two. I marveled in the long sofa that stretched out and around a large TV set with several game systems attached to the tv.

"This place is amazing." I whispered, "No wonder why you're so happy here."

"Huh?" he asked.

"Nothing. This place is incredible." I replied quickly.

"Thanks," he chuckled, "You're the only other person besides Laura who's been in here." he replied, sitting on the sofa.

I mimicked his move and sat opposite him. "Am I that special?" I joked.

"Kinda, yeah."

"Wait, what?" I asked, "How am I special."

"You're different from everyone else."

"How?" I asked, intrigued in his opinion about me.

"You just are. You're so nice, and just so awesome. You treat me like I'm normal, not a celebrity, and it sucks that you're leaving in two weeks 'cuz.."

"Cause?" I pressed.

"You're like one of the bestest friends I've ever had Jay." he said sadly.

"And you can label me that after two days?" I joked.

"Shut up! I don't know, I can feel it. You're someone I can trust I guess. Ever since you understood what I said about hating attention, you know?" He said.

"Well, I'm glad about that. And don't be down man, I can come visit when I get the money, or you can come down too." I said, reassuringly.

"Yeah, you're right. Hey wanna learn how to play an acoustic guitar?" he asked.

"Yeah sure, I mean I know how to play guitar, but not an acoustic, only electric." I replied, as he led me to the guitar stand.

"Okay, so you hold like an electric guitar, only the melody is a lot softer. Here, hold the base, and I'll adjust your hand onto the neck." He said, moving behind me and putting his arms around me to position the guitar in my hands. I could feel his warm breath on my neck, as he placed his hand over mine.

"Like that?" I asked, my heart beating fast.

"Perfect." he whispered. "Hey Jay?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really glad you decided to come over." he whispered again, as I could sense the smile forming on his lips as he kept his arms around me and the guitar.

"Yeah, me too." I said, completely and utterly confused.

* * *

**Blooooopx. Hope you enjoyed :) I like a slow burn relationship, so expect more fluff :D and as posted above, if you have an issue about this story, remember I'm not forcing you to read it, nor is anyone else. Btw, the song I "Sang" is called Young & Beautiful by Lana Del Rey.**


	4. Dinners & Winners

**A/N: God I love college.. which is taking up most of my time :/ I'm so sorry guys. I might delete this story.. I **_**really **_**don't want Ross Lynch seeing this & like hating me lol, though I doubt he even looks up Fanfiction but hey, one can never be too careful right?**

**Chapter Four: Dinners & Winners**

* * *

"_So how was the dinner!?_" asked Raini and Laura over the phone. We were currently having a three way conversation over the phone, and they were demanding to know the events of the previous night.

"It was.. nice. His family is really nice, I wasn't expecting it to be fun. I kinda also didn't expect Ross to be afraid of horror movies." I replied, smiling at how creeped out he was at the start of the movie.

"_Which movie was it?_" asked Laura.

"It was Evil Dead, the remake, not the original.. I'm pretty sure if he saw the original he'd be even more freaked out." I laughed, "Anyway, he was creeped out and we went downstairs and he taught me how to play an acoustic guitar."

"_Awwwwwwwwww!_" they both swooned, chuckling afterwards.

"Why are you two 'awwwwww-ing'? It's just a guitar lesson." I replied, as I finished down the rest of my coffee.

"_Are you serious?_" shouted Raini, "_He's totally into you!_"

I spit out the remainder of caffeinated goodness from my mouth in pure shock. "What!? What are you talking about? Ross Lynch is just my friend."

"_And Jaws is real._" replied Raini, "_You really think a friend is gonna invite over another so called 'friend' for dinner and meet and greet with their family with a helping of guitar lessons in a private basement on the side?_"

"_She does have a point.._" Laura agreed, "_But let's not jump to conclusions here Raini, how about we test it out first?_"

"And how do we do that?" I sputtered, still in disbelief. He couldn't like me, I'm just me, and we've only known each other for three days now. He couldn't have possibly caught feelings.. could he?

"_Uhh, do you have an ex?_" asked Raini.

"Yeah, my ex of four years.. Genny. She was my first and only relationship.. I- I still love her.." I replied, looking down.

"_Okay, clear your schedule.. we're going to the amusement park today. We're gonna call Ross right now, and invite him with us, if he asks for you.. then that's a sign, if not, then we attempt phase two._" Laura explained.

"Wait-Wait I-" I began before being shushed by Raini.

_"Shh! I'm calling! Put yourself on Mute Jay._" she began, as I quickly put my phone on mute, _"Ross?"_

"_Hey Raini, what's up?_" Ross answered.

"_Me and Laura are heading to the amusement park, we were wondering if you'd like to come with us._" she asked, nonchalantly.

"_Really? That sounds like fun, I'm in. What time are we going?_" he asked.

"_How does an hour sound for you?_"

"_Perfect. Should I bring Riker? I kinda think Laura has a thing for him.. swear you won't say a thing!_" he said quickly, unbeknownst to him that Laura heard every word he had said.

"_Lips are sealed, see ya._" Raini said before hanging up.

"See? Didn't even mention me. I told you, you guys are being paranoid." I said, rolling my eyes.

"_Hmm, alright then we go on to-_" she began, before stopping, "_Hold on, he's calling me back._ _Yes?"_

"_Raini! Please, please don't tell anyone what I said about Laura liking Riker, I'm not sure, I'm just spitballing here.._" he said, in a worried tone.

"_Ross you have my word, I won't say a single thing okay? See you at the amusement park._"

_"Wait Raini, one more thing! Is.. Is Jay coming?_" he asked, this time in a rather quiet voice.

I could practically hear the smile in Raini's voice, "_If you want him to come. Do.. you want me to ask him_?"

"_If you want.. I mean, yeah you should. We should make him feel awesome before he goes home. I wanna - I mean, we should show him all the cool places in Los Angeles._" Ross said.

"_Sounds good, see ya!_" She finished.

"Wow.. I don't even.. wow." I sputtered, "Are you two sure about this? He just wants me to feel comfortable you know?"

"_Oh shush, get ready. We're coming over._" Laura said, before they both hung up.

I stared at my phone for a good minute, wondering what I've gotten myself into. I was shocked at the idea of Ross Lynch, THE Ross Lynch, liked me. I mean, I don't even swing that way, although I found it really, really, _really_, flattering. I mean, really flattering, maybe.. maybe this was it. Maybe I was just getting over Genny, but something told me to keep shut and play along.

I quickly decided on what to wear, and settled on a black and red Rutgers hoodie, a pair of Army Cargo pants, and a pair of black polo boots, with a Chicago Bulls cap. Laura had mentioned that it would be chilly today, so I decided to go the aforementioned outfit. I heard a knock at my door, and went to open it, revealing Laura and Raini with smiling faces.

"You're outfit.." Raini said, running a hand over the sleeve of my hoodie, "It's amazing, Ross is gonna love you in that."

"Can I ask you guys something?" I asked quietly, pouring them a cup of coffee each as we all sat down at the kitchen table.

"Sure." Laura replied, a kind smile portraying her lips.

"Why do you guys think Ross me so much? I mean, I admit that he's nice and all, and he's honestly been really keen on getting to know me.. but why all this?" I asked.

They both looked at each other and smiled, before Raini turned to me. "It's obvious Jay. When we first went to his house for the barbecue, and Maia told us that he took you out in the cab, we were kind of suspicious. Ross is nice and all, but for someone he just met, it was a little different. Then when you told us he apologized for the way he just left you stranded at the party, and that he slept over, we had a bit more suspicions. It wasn't until you described your night at his family's house where we put two and two together. He likes you, and if he doesn't, it definitely means he's interested in you at least. It's the happiest we've seen him."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes Jay! And you're interested in him too. I may be young, but I'm not stupid.. Interest is in your eyes, both of your eyes, when you two look at each other." said Laura.

I took in a deep breath, and blushed. I can't believe I'm saying this.. but when Laura put it that way, it made some sense. I- I might be interested but I still wasn't sure, and I didn't know what to do or say. All I knew, was that I had no idea, that by knowing this newfound information, how I was ever going to face him at this theme park.

* * *

By the time we all got to the amusement park, we waited for Ross and his older brother Riker to show up. The theme park was chilly, just as Laura had said, and I was sitting on top of a picnic table just outside the outskirts of the main gate. Raini and Laura were talking amongst themselves and I was nervous to see Ross. I don't think I could talk to him anymore, or even look at him without stuttering or making a fool of myself.

Just as we were about to pay for our way in, Ross and Riker came jogging up to us, as I sighed deeply in a nervous fit of frustration. I turned quickly the other way as to not see him.

"Hey Raini, Laura!" Ross said, giving them both hugs before turning to me. I turned around and started walking towards the gate, and distracted myself by paying for my entrance ticket before he ran up to me. "Hey Jay.. what's up?"

I turned around slowly and looked at him with a small smile, "Hi Ross, how are you?"

"I'm.. good.. you?" he asked, cocking his head to the side, "You seem.. nervous?"

"Nah, I'm good. I just can't wait to get on some rides.. matter fact, I'm gonna go on this roller coaster real quick, gimme a sec." I replied quickly, before grabbing Raini and rushing towards the line for the ride. He looked a bit sad as I walked away, but I brushed it off. Gosh I was such a jerk..

"What? What's wrong?" asked Raini.

"I'm freaking out! I can't even talk to him without being a jerk.. Crap!" I replied, heart beating faster and faster.

"Just relax!" she said before looking over to him, Ross was watching us carefully, and had a slightly hurt look in his eye before he looked away quickly, "He looked pretty sad.."

"Oh god Raini I hurt his feelings!" I said worriedly.

"No, no. This is gonna make him want you even more." she explained.

"What!?"

"Just relax!" she screamed, gathering the attention of a family that was walking by. They looked in our direction in concern and confusion, before Raini smiled at them and replied, "He's just nervous about the ride."

I looked at them and smiled sheepishly before, turning towards the rest of the group that was making there way over here. "What do I do?"

"Play hard to get, make it seem like something's wrong but don't give too much away, make minimal conversation." she said, "Quick! Act natural."

Ross, Riker and Laura made their way towards us, as I swept away into the direct line of the ride. The ride was one of those spinning chairs rides, and I couldn't wait to get on just to get away from this awkward feeling.

"So, what's the mission for today?" asked Riker, as he sat on top of one of the railings to the line.

"We need to tackle Goliath, that's the real mission!" Laura exclaimed, "That ride looks so intense! Can you imagine just diving down that drop? It's almost straight down."

"Laura, you're making my stomach hurt.." Raini replied, clenching her stomach, face contorting into one of displeasure. We walked forward a few steps and watched the next few people board the ride.

Ross took this as a perfect time to look at me from the corner of his eye, and sigh. "So, do you like roller coasters Jay?"

I pretended to be absent minded, looking off into space before answering. "Huh? Yeah, I do."

He looked down and before I could reprimand myself, it was our turn to go on the ride, and before I knew it, I was being shoved into one of the little swings. The whole way into the ride, I wasn't even having fun. I wanted to apologize to Ross for acting like an idiot, but I was scared, I was too scared to even say a word now that I knew he liked me. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

After a couple of rides, we decided to eat dinner at an old style restaurant themed to look like an 80's burger shack. We got a table in a private section, and placed our orders. I did a good job with being quiet most of the time, seeing as I was sad on the inside. I liked Ross too, I admit it, but to be honest, I've been lied to so much, I don't even know whether to trust Laura and Raini's word on whether he TRULY did like me, maybe we were all just overreacting?

"So Jay, how's the love life going?" asked Raini, winking at me.

"Uhm, I'm single." I replied, smiling as to not seem too upset.

"Really? For how long now?" she pressed, cocking her head to the side.

I peeked through the corner of my eye and saw that Ross was playing with his napkin, but at the mention of my relationship status, he looked up a bit. I decided to just be out with it, and just tell the truth. "Two years now."

"Aw, and who's the lucky ex?" Laura asked, genuine interest forming in her facial features.

"Her name's Genesis, we went out for four years.. we broke up two years ago." I replied, the heartbreak returning to me once more. Man, I thought admitting this would be good, but I guess I was wrong. The hurt was coming back to me.

"I'm sorry to hear that.." Riker said sympathetically, taking a drink of his water.

"Thanks." I replied, before getting up, "I'm gonna go use the bathroom, I'll uh.. I'll be right back." I walked into the bathroom and stopped in front of the mirror, placing both of my hands on the counter and staring intently back at my reflection. _What I'd do to get out of this situation_, I thought to myself.

I washed my face with water and dried off, before the bathroom door opened and Ross came through, stopping me in my tracks. "Jay.."

"Yeah?" I asked, not looking him in the eye.

"Look at me." he demanded, his voice growing quiet afterwards. I looked up at him, his eyes burning into mine. I felt like everything was paused, just him staring at me, and me staring right back. I wanted to run, to leave and never come back. "Did I do something?"

"Why would you say that Ross? Of course not.." I said, trying to leave before he stopped me once more.

"You've barely said two words to me all day.. If it's because of my family I'm sorry, I thought you had fun at my place last night.. If you felt uncomfortable, I'm so sorry.." he began before I stopped him.

"Ross, you did nothing wrong. You're family's amazing, I promise you. I just have alot on my mind today, I should be the one apologizing.." I replied.

"Is it because of your ex?" he asked.

"You could say that." I lied, hoping he wouldn't catch me in my ruse.

"Jay, she's missing out. If it's any consolation, you're an amazing guy, it's her loss bro." he said, putting a hand on my shoulder, "Don't feel like you ever have to push me away, or anyone. I'm here for you, we all are. You know the real me more than any of these guys, you know I'd help you the best way I can."

"Ross, why are you so nice to me..?" I asked finally.

"Because you're different Jay, that's why. You're a good friend, and I feel like I can tell you anything, do anything with you, and be myself around you." he said, putting both hands on my shoulders.

I leaned into him, and he put his arms around me, the embrace lasting a good minute and a half. "You're the first person, to ever, and I mean ever, value me like that.. I'm such a jerk."

He chuckled, "No, you're awesome, and whoever doesn't see that, doesn't belong in your presence."

I laughed into his shoulder, into the shoulder of the boy who I was beginning to fall for.


End file.
